Edina defenseman Ben Brinkman, who was a junior this past season, has accelerated his high school education to graduate early and will join the Gophers hockey program for the 2018-19 season, multiple sources told the Star Tribune.
The 6-1, 210-pounder has been considered a top recruit for his entire high school career. The Star Tribune first-team All-Metro selection had 11 goals and 33 assists in 28 games as captain for the Hornets in 2017-18. As a sophomore, when he was also captain, he scored 12 goals.
In his final high school game this past March, the state third-place game against Centennial, he had three assists and a goal in the Hornets' 11-0 victory.
Brinkman, 17, gave a verbal commitment to the Gophers in December 2015. He was the No. 5 overall selection by the Waterloo Blackhawks in the USHL futures draft in 2016.
Brinkman will be in new coach Bob Motzko's rotation starting Oct. 6 when the Gophers open against defending national champion Minnesota Duluth.
RANDY JOHNSON
Former North Stars GM to work for Wild
Former Minnesota North Stars General Manager Jack Ferreira was named an assistant GM of the Wild on Tuesday.
The 73-year-old Ferreira joins the staff of new Wild GM Paul Fenton.
Fenton played for Ferreira when he was general manager of the San Jose Sharks, and started his executive career with Anaheim in 1993 when Ferreira was GM of the Mighty Ducks.
Ferreira was the North Stars general manager from 1988-90. He moved to San Jose in 1990 when the Gunds, who owned the North Stars, took ownership of the new Sharks franchise.
He also worked for front offices for Hartford, the New York Rangers and Calgary before joining the North Stars. He was director of pro scouting for Montreal in 1993, when it won a Stanley Cup, before joining the Ducks.
Ferreira, who has worked in the Los Angeles Kings organization as a senior advisor for the past 12 years, is expected to remain in California and work remotely.
Macalester names Roysland replacement
Macalester named Pamela Findlay its new women's basketball coach
Findlay, who spent the past two seasons as the coach at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore., replaces Kelly Roysland, who left Macalester after four years to become an assistant coach for the Gophers women's team.
Findlay, who also served as an assistant coach at Washington & Lee, began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Bemidji State. Findlay played at the Air Force Academy.
Two Minnesotans drafted
Righthander Sean Hjelle, who's from White Bear Lake, graduated from Mahtomedi and pitched at Kentucky, was picked in the second round of the Major League baseball draft by San Francisco.
Second baseman Luke Becker, from Fairmont, Minn., who plays at Kentucky, was selected by the Padres in the ninth round.
